Food crisper



Sept 12, 1950 G. R. KoDADEK ETAL FOOD CRISPER Filed Marsh 21, 1946 `70.515157# M. Koo/105K TTozNE Y@ Patented Sept. 12, 1950 y na Joeeph-MisKiiaaaek, Y

This. invention, in its.' broad' eiepeft, 'relates to;

ani` apparatusfor .crisping,jor heating,` various food articles such as dried' cereals;v` pretzels,"l

crackers; and the. like, which. may havelost .some

orfall` of their originalfreshness andv CrSplleSs.-

as a result of dainphess which may be caused by. a relatively high humidity.'

1t is well knownthattmany food articlessuch as driedjrcereals, crackers; pretzels,4 andl the like,`

are `more palatable toV the @taste when Served` in a crisp and more or less brittlepcondition. Many'. such ffQQdshave an inherenttendencyto absorb. meisturfe, which may bein the forni of humidity.

whereby they.. may quickly lose their original freshness and'crispness, andmas. a result,A become,

less` palatable to theftastje. Such la'ckfof crisp.`

ness maybe restored by subgeetirig'(l the;v uncrisp food articles, to heat, whichy willjabsorbi'or.dissi. pate" the: meisture contained therein` and thereby renderithe food. crisp and fresh again.'

l'l'iigtlie best of. o ur knowledge, noone lhas heretofkore, ldeveloped av small 'practical device which' may"kie-used'` asan adjunct to.v aff'conventionalv toaster for crispingfoodjarticles which 'may temporarily "haveflost their*y original erispness, and whereby such food articles may be quicklytreated to restore' themto their normal fresh, crisp. con,- ditionfprior to 'serving.

Anjobject of thejpese'nt inveritiori,.tl:ieref` or.e,y

is to 'provide aY device which may bey usediny con? neotionwith. a; eonventionalioaster, whereby such a vtoaster.may be utilized 'for quickly Vcrisping` dried; cereals. and. other food" artie1es';wbcii may. req ire suchtreatrnent 1to1 render them"A more..

palatable forserviriajl v l l ..furthfer object is .to provide a device of the clas'sdescribed comprising a vsuitable container having' one'or more openings;v in its' bottom wa11 andfa suitablev perforated food-.containing basket being removably mounted l in the. containenf whereby when the device is'placed overa sourcej of heat,r heated airVdireotedjintor the* container throughtheA openings inthe bottom wall thereof willpass upwardly through the perforated basket andbetween the' foodv particlesv contained thee- SiGlaims." (Cl. 99-339) u masten. antifa. perforated basket having.I al siiiil'y l' able handle. havingjmeans for removably' supiy porting it on the Walls. of` the container with its. bottom wal'ljspaced upwardly from thev bottom' wall oi the *container, thereby to'provide an.ai1-` distributing chamber beneath the basket,"where.``V by. whenthelbasket is plaeeci in theV container withcereal or soutienother fond articl'efs'upported therein, 'heateblai'r fromthe. toasting chamberg of the toaster' mayt'circulate upwardly through. the@v .4., perforationsinthe basket between the food' par-J tides-Contained' thereii.1,. therebyto quickly ab-p sdrbgmoisture, contained; in the, food and thus.;

restore it. to `its nzlrmal.y` 'crisp condition'. f

.Qiiher *objectsvh Qf'the invention'resd'e, in the novel meansv provided'- on" the `container for, re-` inovably supportingit; on a toaster; inthe means contents; into *a 'suitablezreceiving dislifafter the.

provided flor supporting theA perforated basket witliirij'the container whereby the. walls of the vbasketare vspaced"slightly from the walls lofptlne."

container, therebyY to .assure "free circulation off" food; has been' thoroughly crisped withinthe baslieti, and'v the provision ofi/such aldevice whichg isjextremely simple and' inexpensive in construcjtonwhereby itmay be manufactured in'quantity' production nat lpw cost; 5 r

Other objects or the inventionjwill appearffroin the "following description andl accompanying drawings andwillj be pointed outin v'the annexedy f claims.

In.. the accompanying 4drawinestherei hasy beenj `f*"di'sclgsedfag structure "designed to carry out. the" wl'iichfmayY have been absorbed-by the iood and,"

thereby restore'thev food to its original freshness'.1

and crispness, f f

A further object of iiieinventionfisgtg provide.

a foodfcrisper comprising a containerl having an various' obieetaof. the.' inve. L: but. it', 1S. to. belV understoodjthat' the invention lsj` the exact. aturesshown as'v'ariojils'.[chatiges4 .may f be made.. within In the. drawingsj Ei'gure 11' i'sja perspective. viewfshowing our im,-

provedj 'c'risper'inv operative position upon acon' I vventionalfts'iaster;` Eigurez isa,y perspective view ofjthefoodfCQn-.g

opening in itsbottom wall andprovided withz meanswher'eby the containerjrnayberemovably supported 'upon the, casing V of a toasterl withl the openingin its botiemifwair registering withl trie;

usual` bread-receivingV opening` proevided. l.1.11.11211Pl taining` basket removed. from' thecontainery Figure 3 is a'vertical sectional View onl thelin'eTVJ the Sifw'lie'flffv the. @time Whitt'.

the circulation of heated air upwardly through the container and basket;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view on the line 4 4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a bottom View of the container; and Figure 6 is a view showing a crisper designed for use in connection with a one-slice toaster.

In the selected embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, there is illustrated in Figure 1, for purposes of disclosure, a representation of a conventional two-slice toaster, designated by the numeral 2. The top Wall 3 of the toaster casing is shown provided with the usual.lgiread-flje,I ceiving openings 4, each in communicationmwith a toasting chamber 5 which are heated by the vventlon. `23, whereby it may be conveniently lifted out of walls o! the container, and this may be inexpensively accomplished by providing the upper edge of the basket with a suitable reinforcing element 2| having outwardly extending ngers or elements 22 thereon adapted to engage the top edges of the walls of the container 1, as shownin Figures ,1, 3 aride.. `Ifdesired, other means applicable'A for thel purpose vmay .be utilized in lieu of the elements 22 for holding the .basket in proper position within the container 1, Without departing from the scope of the in- The .basket I6 has a suitable handle xfthecontainer or placed therein, as will be underusual heating elements B, when kthe toaster is in operation, as is well known. i

An important featuresof the present invend tion is to provide a rdeviceadapted. for use. in:y connection' with 'a conventional toaster vwlie'rbyfsuch atoaster maybe `utilized for crispingf various food 'articles 'whichfhavel a tendency' to absorb moisture, as',"for example, dried .ceeals,`

crackers, and many other such articles, which, to' be served at their bestmi1st bel fresh and crisp.'`

ing, 'comprises a suitable container, 'generally' designated .by the numeral 1, having opposed side walls 8, end walls,4 9, and a bottom wall all.. A' suitable handle 4I2 is shown secured to'onev ci shown in Figure 5,'is provided with one or'more elongatedy openings 13, which' openings areso l spaced apart as to register with' the bretdlresr ceiving openings 4 `in thetop `wall of the toaster,

when the container is operatively' seatedoii'theV toaster, as' shownin Figures 1, 3 and 4." I1 'fthe 40 slice toaster,` shown in' Figure '6, thecOntainerf device is tcfbc used ijn connection witna' cnc'-l bottom is provided withla'single slot.

To' 'retain the container i3 are shown flanked jat their opposite sides by l y 1 in proper; pcsitcn' upon the' top wallof the toaster, 'the openings f '25 The device, as cleariyiuustratcn in tbs"` draw# stood.

l To prevent overheating of the toaster, `the bas- ,ket IG is so dimensioned that its walls are spaced inwardly from lthe walls of the container 1, therebyvto provide, annular air circulating passage" 24 b'ctwccnjtbc ,wsus cf tbc container the walls of the basket. The bottornwall I'lf" of thebasket is also' preferably spaced upwardly" from the lbottomjwall, 'l vl of theI container,lv there-' by to provide' ahot *air-distributing ch'amben'' beneath the basket, 'as bestpillustrated inr yFig-l ures3and4.

In' useythe container is positionedupon the,

l toasterias shown in' Figures 1,3 and Vfanti theft th'e'end walls of the 'containery whereby itfa'y' be conveniently moved about from place to place.' i

The bottoni wall `Il of thecontainer 1, as best r basket toaster isthen turnedmon inthe usual manner'f toheat the 'toasting 'chamber' 5. "The food are" ticle tc be crispcdjispiaced rin tbck baskstjitg after which tbc basket is :placed in theiiccntsincr, `as sh'cwnin tbc' drawing. ',Itdesircm the@ r may Abe placed within the containerlbe-'f fcrcpiacing the fccd crticlc'thcr'cin. i

Wncn tbc loaded basket is in cpcrstivejpcsitinjwitbin tbc contains; 1, jthc matten aimais-"1 vcharging from 'the bread-receiving" openings dependingl flanges l5 which are adapted toI enter thebread-receiving openings or slotsin the` top; wall of the toaster', asbest shown yin Figures' 3' and 4, tbcrcby tc 'pretesti lrciatitc mcy/entente; f

the 'container lupoh'fth toastenwhen the'co'nf"` tainer 'is .'in operative porsitionvlthereon. The' flanges` l5 may4 also be utilized as ,a means. for p supporting the 'container with its L-bottorn wall when the container is removedv fyromthtoaster.

- vcruispness n v in u damp. atmospherfwhichf ,m

A suitable basket i6 Iis removably supported within the container'l and is adapted to contain" the food article to'be crisped by the flow of'heat ed air upwardly through the, container. Thelbottom'wall Ilfofvsthe basket, and preferably itsA side and end' walls,A irrrespectively, 'areper-l heated air emanating from the toaster.

The basket I'Iis preferably,constructedbfa suitable wire meshs 'as 'toj present as little olistruction as possible to the circulation @fainl therethrough from the toasting chamber,v although it. is t0 befundelrstood that itmay be made from' suitably perfoatedy'sheet metal, f.

desired. y.

.'.ThebmSe i 1 with'its walls spaced""`iron`th"corresponding s1cts 4 vin tb's tcp wsnc'ftbe toaster wijn' cifcuz" late' A'upwardly' throughfthe"basket'jand the il. particles contained "therein, whereby'` the heat'. edfairjwill quickly [absorb lanyldampnessfcon- L originalfreshncss'and c'rispness. Heated, air vwill alvva'ysbeserved'atgthirbest;. l' In biente 6, .We .lhsvel'sheim @crever designed e .in-,connection witnacnesncs tcaster.,

2S having anelongatedope'ningdItherein. .-.flfa supp'brt the'container2,6 of the crisp'er upon thezf,V toaster, the sidewalls 2l' thereof are shown-pr m vided with, depending= .anges 32 which ,',extend downwardly below the bottomwall ,of Ythecrispr ,l

into engagement'withthe'usul sidewalls, the'utoaster `ihousir'ig,.f .pas.` bottin. ,'Meansslfott shown", is alsofprovidedlo eventingl'ongit dim supported within the container 26, similar to the one shown and described with reference to the previous iigures.

The operation of the device shown in Figure 6 is substantially the as the operation of the device shown in the previous figures.

v`While the device herein disclosed has been designed primarily for use in connection. with a toaster, it is to be understood that it may be used in conjunction with various other heating devices, as, for example, gas or electric ranges or small portable electrical heating plates, which may be so constructed that the container 'i' (or 26) may be placed thereon, whereby the heated air discharging from the heating plate may circulate upwardly through the container.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that we have accomplished at least the principal objects of our invention, and it will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments herein described may be variously changed and modiiied, without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that the invention is capable of uses and has advantages not herein specieally described; hence it will be appreciated that the herein disclosed embodiments are illustrative only, and that our invention is not limited thereto.

What we claim is:

1. The combination-with a toaster of the class having a toast receiving slot in its top wall, of a container having an opening in its bottom wall adapted to register with the bread-receiving opening in the toaster whereby heated air may circulate from the toaster through the container, flanges secured to and depending from the bottom wall of the container adapted to be received in the bread receiving opening of the toaster and a perforated food-receiving basket detachably supported within the container with its side and bottom walls spaced from the walls of the chamber to `permit heated air to circulate through all of theperforated walls of the basket.

2. The combination with a toaster comprising a casing having a toasting 'chamber therein and 45 the top wall of said chamber being provided with elongated bread-receiving openings, of a container having elongated openings in its bottom wall flanked at their sides with depending flanges `adapted to be rreceived in the. bread-receiving openings oi the toaster thereby to support the container on thetoaster with its bottom openings in registration with the bread-receiving openings in the toaster, and a perforated food-receiving basket removably supported within the container,r vthe perforations in said basket permitting heated to circulate upwardly through the basket from the toasting chamber, thereby to quickly crisp food articles placed in the basket.

3. The combination with a toaster comprising a casing having a toasting chamber therein and the top wall of said chamber being` provided with elongated bread-receiving openings, of a container having elongated openings in its bottom wall flanked at their sides with depending iianges REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,301,286 Little et al. Apr. 22, 1919 1,352,071 Leeper Sept. 7, 1920 1,460,975 Miller et al. July 3, 1923 1,587,023 Mottlou June 1, 1926 1,714,536 Wooderson May 28, 1929 2,382,380 Buttner Aug. 14, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 8,344 Australia Jan. 18, 1928 

